Mizoram Govt. resists Yoga Day ‘tamasha’

While the ‘official machinery’ in most of India was pressed into observing International Yoga Day on Thursday, no official programme was organised under any department of the State Government in Mizoram to mark the day.

Despite popular opposition to the introduction of ‘forced yoga’ last year, the event was sneaked in under the guise of an Assam Rifles’ event. Mizoram last year observed the 3rd International Yoga Day with the then Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (Rtd) Nirbhay Sharma leading the event at the Assam Rifles Ground which coincided with the launch of ‘Healthy Mizoram Campaign’ organized by Assam Riffles.

This time, though yoga events were held by Assam Rifles and BSF, no ministers and government officials attended the events. This is in the wake of civil society organisations including the Young Mizo Association (YMA) are sternly opposing the idea of forcing people to practice Yoga in Mizoram in the name of ‘nationalism’.

Political parties like Mizo National Front (MNF) have been opposing the practice of Yoga in schools and in the police department. Meanwhile, People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) in a statement on Thursday said that it strongly opposed the imposition of yoga as it has no necessity to be practiced in Mizoram.

PRISM, a newly floated party, which was earlier an anti-corruption watchdog, said that no institutions and individuals should be forced to practice yoga in Mizoram. “We would continue to oppose forces asking to embrace yoga. We will discontinue introduction of yoga among policemen if we come to power in the next assembly election,” the statement issued by PRISM general secretary Eddy Zosangliana Colney said.

Meanwhile, the International Yoga Day was observed by Assam Rifles along with yoga enthusiasts and students at Assam Rifles Ground in Aizawl which marked the closing of Healthy Mizoram Campaign launched on June 21 last year.